Package for oral barium and the like



March 24, 1,970 w. M. HULTBERG ET AL 3,502,206

PACKAGE FOR ORAL BARIUM AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 4, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1AM i,

HHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WAYNE M.Hv|.rsERG Jos E. /Rv/A/ March 24, 1970 w, M,Hum-BERG ETAL 3,502,206

PACKAGE FOR ORAL BARIUM AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 4, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2will IMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII fsf/w INvEuroR WAYNE rtl-laurens .losE. lawn 'United States Patent O 3,502,206 PACKAGE FOR ORAL BARIUM ANDTHE LIKE Wayne M. Hultberg, Glenview, and Joe E. Irvin, Highland Park,Ill., assignors to Baxter Laboratories Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 773,075 Int. Cl.B65d 79/00, 81 /32 U.S. Cl. 206-47 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present invention relates to a package of a material for making aliquid mixture adapted for no more than a single use. Particularly theinvention relates to a package of a solid and means for adding theretoand mixing therewith a predetermined quantity of a liquid carrier toprovide a single diagnostic dose. Specifically the invention relates toa package of a single dose of diagnostic barium salt.

Barium sulfate, a radio-opaque material, conventional- 1y is introducedas a suspension into portions of the gastro-intestinal tract to enableproduction of meaningful radiographs as a diagnostic aid in detection ofabnormal conditions. Conventionally, the barium salt is furnished to anX-ray laboratory in dry particle form in a bulk container having acapacity for material sufficient to enable a great number ofexaminations. To prepare barium salt, thus supplied, for use insuccessive examinations requires that a predetermined quantity beremoved from its container for each examination and mixed with waterprior to administration.

However, errors in the concentrations of resulting suspensions may arisefrom the foregoing procedure. And this -problem is not unique for bariumsalt as it is also encountered in connection with other materials whichlike barium salt are mixed with liquid for each procedure in which anysuch material is used. Accordingly, while the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention is a package of barium' salt, it is appreciated that thebarium salt is only illustrative and that the package may compriseanother material which is to be mixed or diluted with a suitable uidcarrier to condition such other material for use.

In accordance with the present invention the aforedescribed errors,especially in handling of medical substances, are prevented. To thatend, a container comprises a cup for a measured quantity of material. Acap for measuring a predetermined volume of a liquid carrier to be mixedin said cup with said material is removably mounted on said cup. The capis proportioned for arrangement in nested condition in said cup and forarrangement on said cup in a condition inverted from its nestedcondition. It is an advantage of the invention that the foregoingenables shaking, in said inverted condition, of the measured materialand the liquid carrier poured into said cup from said cap by reason ofprovision of suicient space above the mixture. Moreover, by fabricatingthe cap and cup comprising each container from inexpensive materials,disposability after each use is encouraged. This latter feature attractsmedical uses for the invention because it eliminates need forre-cleaning and attendant problems and expense.

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How realization of the foregoing and other objects, features andadvantages of the invention are achieved will become more apparent uponconsideration of the following description and appended claims, whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein thesame reference character or numeral refers to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a package embodying said invention andillustrating a container comprised of a cup and a cap in nestedcondition.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view according to the line 2-2 of FIG.l.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the said embodiment on the scale of FIG. 2with parts of said cap broken away.

FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view of said embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating said cap in apouring condition in solid lines, and in an inverted condition in dashedlines.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the cup and capconditioned as a shaker.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of said package on the scale of FIG. 1 butconditioned as in FIG. 6

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a container generallydesignated 10 comprises a cup 12 for a measured quantity of a material11 sufficient for only a single use which will determine the compositionof the material. Material 11 may be a solid, preferably in particulateform, or a concentrated mixture of a solid and a liquid. Herein, it is aradio-opaque salt, barium sulfate particularly, in particulate form, andwhen suspended in a liquid carrier `13 (FIG. 5) such as water, suitablefor administration into a gastro-intestinal tract for the purpose ofmaking X-ray pictures.

Cup 12 is preferably of rigid construction and may be fabricated fromany suitable substance which is inert with respect to material 11 andliquid carrier 13. Various plastic materials, both thermosetting andthermoplastic resins, suggest themselves. However, the exemplarycontainer is polystyrene because of its economy. Thereby, disposabilityas well as practice of the invention is encouraged.

Cup '12 is proportioned so that a head space 14 (FIG. 4) is providedabove the measured quantity of material 11. The wall 17 which definesthe body of said cup is conically tapered with its greatest diametricdimension in its upper end section 16 at upper end opening 18.

This proportioning enables a cap 20 to be received in telescoped ornested condition (FIG. 2) in head space 14 defined by upper end section16. To facilitate the nested association, cap 20 has a sidewall 22 whichcomprises a truncated cone proportioned with outer diametric dimensionssubstantially equal to, though slightly less than, the inner diametricdimensions of upper end section 16 so that there is a tendency forfrictional engagement or association between the cup and the cap when innested condition. (The space shown in FIG. 2 between the upper endsection 16 and the cap is exaggerated for the purpose of illustration.)

Wall 22 denes a chamber or well 24 within said cap which has an upwardlyfacing opening 26, when the cap is in nested condition. The height ofwall 22 is such that upon full nesting of the cap, its lower Wall 28will be spaced from material 11 (FIG. 2). This proportioning enablesminimizing the size of a package to achieve shipping, storing andhandling economies when material 11 is prepackaged. In this latterregard it is contemplated that optionally container 10 may be suppliedto a laboratory without material 11 or as a package including saidmaterial.

As fashioned, cap 20 has at or about its wide end section 27, i.e. itsupper end section when the cap is in nested condition, an annular radialange or lip 30. The latter is proportioned for engaging an upper annularlip 32 fashioned on cup 12 and projecting radially from an uppermostoutwardly offset ring 34 of section 16 for supporting the cap andlimiting its movement into the cup to prevent jamming of the cap and cupwhen the parts are in nested condition. Cap 20, like cup 12, may befabricated from any of a plurality of well-known substances includingcellulosics, or plastics such as polycarbonates or polyethylene.Preferred, in the interest of economy however, is polystyrene.

End section 27 denes opening 26 and is proportioned for reception withinring 34. Such construction enables the cap to be received and supportedwhen the cap is inverted from its nested position by said cup on ashoulder 35 generated by formation of ring 34. Moreover, the engagementof flange 30 against lip 32 also supports said cap and limits movementof the cap into the cup when the cap is in such inverted condition.

Well 24 is proportioned to receive a predetermined quantity of liquidcarrier 13 suflicient to condition material 11 for use. In accordancewith preferred practice, carrier 13 will be added to a predeterminedlevel in well 24, preferably immediately before use and followingremoval of the cap from its nested condition. Thereafter the carrier canbe poured into the contents of the cup, as illustrated in FIG. 5. It isappreciated that the volume of the liquid carrier 13 received in thewell should not exceed the volume of head space 14. Thereby no part ofthe liquid carrier will spill `when added to the cup.

Following pouring of the liquid carrier into the cup the cap is appliedto the cup in the cap inverted condition according to preferredpractice. Thus associated chamber 24 is substantially wholly outside ofcup 12 and now provides a head chamber enabling vigorous manual shakingof the liquid carrier and material 11 in a closed container, asillustrated in FIG. 7.

A divider 36 is proportioned for disposition in the cup 12. above thelevel of material 11 however, below the wall 28 of the cap when the capis in nested condition. The divider in essence separates head space 14from the remainder of the chambe defined by cup 12. It also preventsmaterial 11 from sullying the cap during handling and storage while thecontainer parts are in nested association. In the present embodimentdivider 36 is a flexible membrane having a peripheral portion 38 (FIG.

2) which is adapted for disposition about smaller porcause it isinexpensive and is highly lubricious. This characteristic is especiallydesirable because polystyrene, the preferred material of the cap and cuphas an exceedingly high coeflicient of friction which is increased bybarium sulfate. Accordingly, the cup and cap which otherwise would bedifiicult to separate from nested condition may be readily yseparated tofacilitate use as aforedescribed.

What is claimed is:

1. A container which comprises a cup for holding a measured quantity ofmaterial, having an upper end section defining an open'mouth, a caphaving a bottom wall and an annular side wall, said cap being normallycarried in said mouth by frictional engagement of the upper end sectionwith said annular side wall, with the bottom wall of the cap facing theinterior of the cup, and a divider membrane frictionally held betweensaid upper end section and annular side wall and separating said bottomwall from the interior of the cup to seal said interior and to enhanceremoval of the cap from its normally-carried position by reduction offriction, said cap also having means for frictional sealing engagementin an inverted position with said upper end section.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, in which said membrane is ofpolyethylene fabrication.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which said cup is polystyrenefabrication.

4. A container according to claim 2 in which said cap is of polystyrenefabrication.

5. The container of claim 1 in which the side wall of the cap carries anannular flange to assist in positioning the cap in frictional engagementwith said upper end section.

6. The container of claim 1 having therein a measured amount of asubstance intended for mixing with a liquid.

7. The container of claim 6 in which the volume dened within saidannular side wall and bottom wall of the cap corresponds to the volumeof liquid intended to be mixed with said substance.

8. The container of claim 6 in which said substance is a radio-opaqueagent for gastrointestinal administration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,483,015 2/ 1924 Schnackenberg.1,573,445 2/ 1926 Phillips 220-'42 X 1,721,506 7/1929 Bass 220-11,885,757 11/1932 Orlopp 206-47 2,401,038 5/1946 Barton et al.

MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 229-15

